Armored strand of short parallel fibres



April 8, 1958 R. w. HANSON 2,829,421

ARMORED STRAND OF SHORT PARALLEL FIBRES Filed July 21, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q QQQ Q /9 vii/"f0H2395,

April 8, 1958 w. HANSON 2,829,421

ARMORED STRAND OF SHORT PARALLEL FIBRES Filed July 21, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ilnited States Patent ARMORED STRAND F SHORT PARALLEL FIBRES Richard W. Hanson, Kennebunk, Maine Application July 21, 1949, Serial No. 105,940

4 Claims. (CI. 28-81) My present invention relates to externally protected weak strands, to apparatus for use in their production and particularly to the utilizing of such external protection as a carrying agent for a partially attenuated strand of cotton or other relatively short and parallel fibres thereby to avoid the necessity, for example, of imparting a twist to the strands before their introduction into a spinning frame.

As the problems involved in attenuating strands of relatively short and parallel fibres are well illustrated by their formation in roving and spinning operations, I have discussed my invention with particular reference to its use in connection therewith. I t

It is well known that partially attenuated strands of relatively parallel and short cotton fibres, as formed in a roving frame, would be so lacking in strength, unless provided with a slight twist at that frame, as to prevent their handling and introduction into a spinning frame on an efiicient basis. In such spinning frame, the strands are further attenuated and suitably twisted. The objections to the procedure of imparting the slight twist to the strands at the roving frame are that such twist, due to the nature of the apparatus required to provide it, represents an item of substantial expense in original cost and maintenance, and that it interferes with the proper drafting of the strand in the spinning frame.

It is the principal object of this invention to eliminate the necessity of twisting the strands as at the roving frame by so enveloping the weak strand in an external support that has adequate strength and that is adapted to be readily removed as the weak strand is fed into a spinning frame as an example of a subsequent operation on such a strand. In accordance with my invention, I employ a tape which is unwound from one reel onto another re'el and is disposed to receive and support a weak and untwisted strand at the outfeed end of the roving frame. The tape is wider than the strand it supports and both travel through a folding device'in which the margins of the tape are successively folded over the strand to envelop it. The externally reinforced strand is then delivered to a spinning frame where the process is reversed and the tape unfolded by an unfolding device so that the weak and untwisted strand may be introduced between the back pair of rolls of the spinning frame and the unfolded tape wound on a reel for re-use.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated my invention to render its novel features and advantages readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a schematic view of apparatus in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the unit employed to fold the carrying tape about the partially attenuated strand.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectioned side view of the folding unit shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views illustrating the successive operation of the unit, and

Fig. 7 is a section along the lines 7-7 of Fig. 6.

As illustrative of my invention, I have indicated at 10 pairs of rolls of a roving frame by which a strand 11 of short and substantially parallel fibres is drawn out in a conventional manner. The strand 11 is so weak that it has been the practice to impart to it a slight twist at the roving frame to strengthen it before it is delivered as to a spinning frame, the function of which is to further attenuatethe strand 11 and to impart to it .a strengthening twist. The weak strand 11 is substantially continuous, that is, the strand 11 is delivered from a supply roll.

In order to avoid the necessity of imparting a twist to the strand 11 before its delivery to the spinning frame, I provide the strand 11 with an external support that enables it to be delivered as a reinforced strand 12, free of twist, to the spinning frame and that may there be readily removed to permit the strand 11 to be fed into the spinning frame. 7

While the external support may be otherwise established, I prefer to employ a tape 13 sufiiciently wider than the strand 11 so that with the strand 11 disposed substantially centrally thereof as shown in Fig. 4, the tape margins 14 and 15 may be folded towards each other to envelop the strand 11 or unfolded to expose the strand 11 for introduction into the rolls of the spinning frame.

In order to avoid the use of the tape 13 from being a factor limiting the use of my invention, it is desirable that the tape 13 be adapted for re-use and hence must be capable of being repeatedly folded and unfolded along the same lines and hence must be strong and pliable. Cellulose acetate tape has proved satisfactory for this purpose.

At 16 I have shown a reel for the tape 13 and the tape 13 is trained over a guide roll 17, between marginal guides 18, and fed through a folding unit, generally indicated at 19 which serves to support the guides 18. The roll 16 is disposed closely adjacent the last pair of rolls 10 of the roving frame and as the strand 11 emerges therefrom, it is fed through the folding unit 19 where the tape 13 is folded about it to provide the reinforced strand 12.

The reinforced strand 12 passes between a pair of rolls 2t) suitably driven to give it a surface speed equal to or slightly greater than that of the strand 11 at the outfeed end of the roving frame and is wound on a reel 21.

I have detailed the folding unit 19 in Figs. 2 and 3 and have illustrated its operation in Figs. 4 to 7. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the unit 19 consists of a base 22 to which a plate 23 is attached as by the pins 24 which serve as marginal guides for the tape 13 and to space the plate 23 from the base 22 to define a guide slot for the tape 13. The forward edge of the plate 23 tapers to a point 25.

In front of the point 25 is a support 26 having a face disposed at right angles to the surface of the base 22 and at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis as may be clearly seen in Fig. 2. To that face of the support 26, I attach a guide 27 which defines a slot perpendicular to the base 22. As the tape 13 passes upwardly from the point 25, it is V-shaped and as it passes through the guide 27, the tape margin 14 is folded to nip and partially envelop the strand 11 substantially at the zone 28 which passes above the plate 23.

A second plate 29 is secured to the support 26 by pins 30 to define a guide slot for the partially folded tape and the strand 11 which it carries. The plate 29 is disposed diagonally upwardly relative to the plate 23 and the pins 39 are spaced apart to serve as marginal guides for the partially folded tape, shown in Fig. 5.

The front edge of the plate 29 tapers to a point 31 located closely adjacent the edge of the strand 11 and spaced therefromis a guide 32 defining a slot at right angles to the guide 26 so that as the tape and strand pass therethrough, the tape is creased by the point 31 and 3 the tape margin 15 is folded to complete the enveloping of the strand 11. 3

The reinforced strand 12 is of adequate strength so that full reels 21 may be handled in any desired way. While I have not shown a spinning frame or an unfolding unit for mom unwrapping the strand 11 when it is to be fed therein, it will be appreciated that such unfolding unit is substantially identical to the folding unit 19 except that the direction of travel from one reel to the other is reversed throughout.

I It will thus be apparent that my invention makes possible, on an efficient and economical basis, the external reinforcement of strands so that the necessity of imparting a twist to them is avoided. 3

What I therefore claim and desire Patent is: i

1. A reinformed roving or like strand for delivery to a spinning frame and to, have its reinforcement removed during such delivery, said strand consisting of a weak substantially continuous strand of short parallel fibres and an envelope for said weak strand consisting of a smoothsurfaced tape substantially wider than said Weakstrand with its margins disposed parallel to the axis of the strand and in overlapping relation to said weak strand and to one another, but free of each other, said envelope containing said weak strand but being otherwise independent thereof.

2. A reinforced roving or like strand for delivery to a spinning frame and to have its reinforcement removed during such delivery, said strand consisting ofasubstantially continuous Weak strand of short parallel fibres and an envelope folded freely about said weak strand, said envelope being of the same length as saidweak strand and having a line of closure in parallel with its axis along which it opens in response to any pressure applied internally thereto, said envelope containing said Weak strand but being otherwise independent thereof.

3. A reinforced roving or like strand for delivery to a spinning frame and to have its reinforcement removed during such delivery, said'strand consisting of a substanto secure by Letters it tially continuous weak strand of short parallel fibres, and an envelope for said weak strand, said envelope freely containing said weak strand and being of the same length as said weak strand and being 'of stock having sufficient strength to constitute a support therefor and being smoothsurfaced to resist any tendency of said weak strand to adhere thereto, and said envelope including a closure disposed to be opened along a line in parallel with the axis of said weak strand.

4. A reinforced roving or like strand for delivery to a spinning frame and to have its reinforcement removed during such delivery, said strand consisting of a substantially continuous weak strand of short, substantially parallel,

fibres, and a smooth-surfaced envelope freely containing such weak strand, said envelope being of the same length as said weak strand and including a main portion of approximately the width of said weak strand, and overlapping marginal portions, there being fold lines between said portions yieldably maintaining the overlapping portions free but closed with respect to said weak strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,231 Wilson et a1 May 16,1950 388,056 Lewis Aug. 21, 1888 592,451 Schroeder Oct. 26, 1897 773,484 Drucklieb Oct. 25, 1904 1,569,685 Stack Ian. 12, 1926 1,758,418 Vincent May 13, 1930 1,764,524 Reber June 17, 1930 1,875,710 Dornan Sept. 6, 1932 1,995,696 Wallach Mar. 26, 1935 2,251,402 Drew Aug. 5,1941

2,410,020 deLathauwer Oct. 29, 1946 2,544,798 Lippmann Mar. 13, 1951 2,581,561 Shaw Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 473,665 France Jan. 21, 1915 

